Thoughts:The 3rd Woman by Jonathan Freedland is a fast-paced, clever and well written political thriller. The book follows Maddy Webb, a truth seeking journalist who stumbles onto a discovery concerning a serial killer in the city.

The novel takes place in a freighting and eerie vision of Los Angeles, just a few short years from today. Everyone has to wear a mask due to the smog and the Chinese have a base near the port so they can keep an eye on the US customs since the country defaulted on their loans.

The setting takes place close to a hotly contested election to the governorship of California where both candidates are trying to stay on the good side of the Chinese, knowing full well that American citizens despise having a foreign military presence in their midst. The novel’s power comes not only from the murder mystery, but also from the political storylines which parallel’s the investigation.

The novel was terrific, a page turner with great twists. The novel also made the reader realize how important journalistic integrity is for democracy and the impact it can make.

Synopsis:
Madison Webb is a star reporter for the LA Times and an insomniac. Webb’s life get twisted when her little sister, Abigail, is found murdered but the police keeps insisting that it was a heroin overdose. Madison finds holes in the police’s reports and launches her own investigation, uncovering two identical murders that the police did not link.

As Madison investigates, she discovers a link between the murders and the Chinese Army. Madison’s investigation keeps getting hampered, and she gets leaks as well. As she asks her self “who benefits” from the hampering and the leaks her investigation gets deeper and more complex.